Trekking guides & porters get pay-hike

The daily wages of trekking guides and porters will be increased by Rs 200 per day on all routes from next year.

From the beginning of 2013, Trekking Guides will get Rs 1200 per day on Everest trek and Rs 1100 on Annapurna and Langtang Trek. Porters will get Rs 1000 per day on Everest Trek and Rs 900 on Langtang and Annapurna Trek.

The umbrella organisation of the Trekking Agents and a consortium of three trade unions in tourism sector signed a pact to this effect recently.

We decided to implement the new rates only from next year as the tourism season has already started this year, said Mahendra Singh Thapa, president of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN).

Earlier, porters used to get Rs 700 per day for Langtang and Annapurna trek and Rs 800 per day for Everest. Guides used to get Rs 800 per day for Annapurna and Langtang and Rs 1000 per day for Everest.

TAAN is also working on increasing the accidental death and medical insurance of guides and portars.